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Strategy and Operations Manager MBA (Full Time) - United States

Cisco Systems
2 days ago
Full-time
On-site
San Jose, California, United States
$132,300 - $174,000 USD yearly
The application window is expected to close on: 04/05/2026

Job posting may be removed earlier if the position is filled or if a sufficient number of applications are received.

Job Description

Applications are accepted until further notice. 


Please note this posting is to advertise potential job opportunities. This exact role may not be open today but could open in the near future. When you apply, a Cisco representative may contact you directly if a relevant position opens.

Meet the Team  

We are Cisco’s AI & Automation Center, the team that drives enterprise AI adoption across Cisco with rapid innovation, scalable automation, and responsible governance. We are a part of the broader Cisco Operations organization that accelerates growth by powering the company to securely deliver high-quality products and experiences for our customers, partners, and employees. Our vision is to power a secure Cisco with simplicity, speed, and growth so customers, partners, and employees choose us every time. 

Your Impact  

We’re looking for a Strategy & Operations Manager to lead high-impact initiatives that drive business performance and operational excellence across the company.

This role sits at the intersection of strategy and execution and is ideal for someone who brings clarity to complex initiatives, influences across teams, and owns delivery end-to-end.

In this role, you will:

  • Lead high-priority, cross-functional initiatives
  • Partner with senior leaders to shape strategy and influence key business decisions
  • Translate company priorities into clear execution plans, milestones, and measurable outcomes
  • Use data to identify opportunities, generate insights, and drive decision-making
  • Improve and scale business processes to increase efficiency and impact
  • Identify opportunities to integrate AI into workflows, analytics, and decision-making to accelerate outcomes

This is a high-visibility role with exposure to senior leadership and the opportunity to make a measurable impact on company-wide priorities. You’ll operate with a high degree of autonomy, own critical workstreams end-to-end, and help shape how the business scales.

Minimum Qualifications 

  • Recent or upcoming graduate of an MBA program
  • Strong understanding of business strategy and structured problem-solving; experience analyzing quantitative and qualitative data to drive strategy 
  • Advanced proficiency in Excel and PowerPoint
  • Ability to manage and deliver high-impact projects on time and within scope 
  • Clear and persuasive communicator with cross-functional partners and senior leaders
  • Familiarity with networking and cloud technologies is a plus 

Why Cisco? 

At Cisco, we’re revolutionizing how data and infrastructure connect and protect organizations in the AI era – and beyond. We’ve been innovating fearlessly for 40 years to create solutions that power how humans and technology work together across the physical and digital worlds. These solutions provide customers with unparalleled security, visibility, and insights across the entire digital footprint.

Fueled by the depth and breadth of our technology, we experiment and create meaningful solutions. Add to that our worldwide network of doers and experts, and you’ll see that the opportunities to grow and build are limitless. We work as a team, collaborating with empathy to make really big things happen on a global scale. Because our solutions are everywhere, our impact is everywhere. 

We are Cisco, and our power starts with you. 

Message to applicants applying to work in the U.S. and/or Canada:

The starting salary range posted for this position is $132,300.00 to $174,000.00 and reflects the projected salary range for new hires in this position in U.S. and/or Canada locations, not including incentive compensation*, equity, or benefits.

Individual pay is determined by the candidate's hiring location, market conditions, job-related skillset, experience, qualifications, education, certifications, and/or training. The full salary range for certain locations is listed below. For locations not listed below, the recruiter can share more details about compensation for the role in your location during the hiring process.

U.S. employees are offered benefits, subject to Cisco’s plan eligibility rules, which include medical, dental and vision insurance, a 401(k) plan with a Cisco matching contribution, paid parental leave, short and long-term disability coverage, and basic life insurance. Please see the Cisco careers site to discover more benefits and perks.  Employees may be eligible to receive grants of Cisco restricted stock units, which vest following continued employment with Cisco for defined periods of time.

U.S. employees are eligible for paid time away as described below, subject to Cisco’s policies:

  • 10 paid holidays per full calendar year, plus 1 floating holiday for non-exempt employees

  • 1 paid day off for employee’s birthday, paid year-end holiday shutdown, and 4 paid days off for personal wellness determined by Cisco

  • Non-exempt employees** receive 16 days of paid vacation time per full calendar year, accrued at rate of 4.92 hours per pay period for full-time employees

  • Exempt employees participate in Cisco’s flexible vacation time off program, which has no defined limit on how much vacation time eligible employees may use (subject to availability and some business limitations)

  • 80 hours of sick time off provided on hire date and each January 1st thereafter, and up to 80 hours of unused sick time carried forward from one calendar year to the next

  • Additional paid time away may be requested to deal with critical or emergency issues for family members

  • Optional 10 paid days per full calendar year to volunteer

For non-sales roles, employees are also eligible to earn annual bonuses subject to Cisco’s policies.

Employees on sales plans earn performance-based incentive pay on top of their base salary, which is split between quota and non-quota components, subject to the applicable Cisco plan. For quota-based incentive pay, Cisco typically pays as follows:

  • .75% of incentive target for each 1% of revenue attainment up to 50% of quota;

  • 1.5% of incentive target for each 1% of attainment between 50% and 75%;

  • 1% of incentive target for each 1% of attainment between 75% and 100%; and

  • Once performance exceeds 100% attainment, incentive rates are at or above 1% for each 1% of attainment with no cap on incentive compensation.

For non-quota-based sales performance elements such as strategic sales objectives, Cisco may pay 0% up to 125% of target. Cisco sales plans do not have a minimum threshold of performance for sales incentive compensation to be paid.

The applicable full salary ranges for this position, by specific state, are listed below:

New York City Metro Area:

$132,300.00 - $200,100.00

Non-Metro New York state & Washington state:

$117,300.00 - $219,300.00

* For quota-based sales roles on Cisco’s sales plan, the ranges provided in this posting include base pay and sales target incentive compensation combined.

** Employees in Illinois, whether exempt or non-exempt, will participate in a unique time off program to meet local requirements.